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Heirloom tomatoes don’t need much, and in the summertime when they are at their peak, a simple caprese salad is an absolute staple. In the end, a recipe might be a bit silly…it’s just tomato and cheese with basil and some oils to taste. But I really like the crostoni (a large crostini) technique (Bagnati is Italian for “wet”, from the oil, and the garlic rub is very effective). Also, I think the presentation came out nice. All this to say: relax, play it by ear, and let the ingredients shine.

Hard boiling: Figuring out how to hard boil a fresh egg, that could peel, was surprisingly if embarrassingly challenging. But peeling alone won’t do, the white should be set but not rubbery, and the yolk should be set but not dry (and especially not green).

Some Background:

I started with the, somewhat standard, method of bringing “cool” water with the eggs to a boil, and then removing from heat and covering for 10 or so minutes. This method was inconsistent at best, and very difficult to peel with fresh eggs, yielding unsightly pot marks. I then added salt and (1/4 cup) vinegar to the water, and dropped the eggs into boiling water to simmer for 14 minutes. These results were consistent and peeled well, but because the outside cooks so much faster than the yolk at the higher heat it was impossible to get the perfectly tender whites (borderline rubbery).

Finally I attempted to steam the eggs (per Alton Brown) and after some trial and error with timing and temperature, found a simple, consistent method that yields tender whites and creamy but solid yolks with as few cooking variables as possible. Additionally, it takes less time, energy, and water with this method. I may still revisit that original method, adding the “hole punch” to aid in peeling, but right now steaming is both simple and consistent. In any case I recommend you see what works for you, there’s more than one way…

Some quick tips:

Store eggs in the carton on their side (with a rubber band to hold the container together) so that the yolks are better centered.

To test for done-ness the egg should spin on a counter top almost endlessly. If the egg only makes it a few rotations on the counter, it’s contents are still liquid.

To peel, crack the shell in a few places with the back of the spoon and roll along the counter top, and remove shell under running water.

As for the deviling: I offer a very basic recipe that can be modified (but needn’t be) for 8 eggs and my favorite recipe for 12 eggs with heavy influence from Michael Schwartz. I suggest a food processor for a smooth filling, and if you are making enough a pastry bag with a wide tip is both faster and prettier. I also much prefer the eggs cut crosswise, not lengthwise, for both taste (proportions) and visual appeal. The egg halves deserve a healthy amount of filling, so you will likely not fill them all…better to leave a few out than skimp.

To Hard Cook Eggs (Steaming Method)

Bring eggs to room temperature or run briefly under warm water. Much like a steak a cold product will cook poorly.

Bring a stock pot (with a steamer basket) with 3 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat (about 1/2 an inch).

Add eggs to steamer basket

Let steam, covered, at medium-high heat for 10 minutes (for golden, creamy, barely set yolks. After 13 minutes and the whites get firmer and yolks more dry, which is okay for some applications like salads).

Remove from steamer basket using tongs and transfer to ice bath for 5 minutes

Thoroughly Spanish, and thoroughly stolen from José Andres. The revelation here is to separate the yolk from the white, fry the white separately and just warm the raw yolk on the dish with the hot garlic infused thyme oil. Spanish “Chori-tho” is different than Mexican varieties, and is much preferred here.

Ingredients

4 large eggs

8 garlic cloves

1/4 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces Spanish chorizo sausages, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

4 sprigs fresh thyme

Sea salt to taste

Tools

Cutting Board, Knife

Bowls for egg whites

Slotted Spoon, Spatula

10-12 inch fry pan

Directions

Gently crack open the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites, putting each yolk and each white into its own small bowl.

Split open the garlic cloves by placing them on a chopping board and pressing down hard on them with the base of your hand or with the flat side of a kitchen knife. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer garlic to a plate and set aside.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once the oil just begins to smoke, tip the sauté pan to a steep angle so the oil collects on one side to create a small bath. Carefully slide the egg white into the oil bath and spoon hot oil over the white 3 or 4 times. until the edges start to get brown, then flip the egg white over. Cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer egg white with a slotted spoon to a serving plate, set aside and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining egg whites.

Pour the olive oil from the pan into a small bowl and set aside. Return the pan to the stovetop and continue to heat over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook for 30-45 seconds, flipping the rounds when the sides begin to brown. Add the thyme and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Divide the egg whites between four plates. Gently spoon an egg yolk over each egg white. Divide the chorizo and thyme between the plates and garnish with the reserved garlic. Sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle the reserved cooking oil over each plate.

Directions, Fish, Lemon Dijon Sauce

Melt butter over low to medium-low heat (do not boil) with dijon, add herbs (squeeze lemon into bowl for addition/emulsification before service)

To cook the halibut fillets, heat a couple tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet large enough to hold them. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and saute until they are golden brown and cooked through, moist but still flaky when the thickest part of one is pierced with a knife tip, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Classic. Here the asparagus is roasted, but grilled asparagus works as well.

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus (about 19 stalks), trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 to 8 paper-thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise

Tools

Oven, Baking Sheet

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Snap the dry stem ends off of each asparagus and place on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Wrap each asparagus with 1 piece (about 1/2 a slice) of prosciutto, exposing tips. Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature.

A charming amuse-bouche for a Sunday brunch, or an elegant accompaniment to a pasta dish or salad, these are super easy and the smaller size helps manage the saltiness of the baked prosciutto. Quail eggs last quite a bit longer than chicken eggs and can be found in Asian markets and specialty stores.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil cooking spray

6 thin slices prosciutto, sliced in half crosswise

12 quail eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

Tools

12-cup mini muffin tin

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a 12-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Nestle a piece of prosciutto into each cup.

Crack an egg into center of each and bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until egg whites are just barely set.

Use a small offset spatula to remove the prosciutto cups, and season with pepper. Serve immediately.

A versatile and excellent Asian-style sauce. Shown above is (20¢) Ramen with (Leftover) Pulled Pork. Super economical and a great way to skip the sodium-bomb of a ramen flavor packet.

I suggest waiting on the sugar and Sriracha until the end, adding only to taste (depending on whether you want a sweet or really spicy sauce). I didn’t have scallions and it turned our fine, really this is just a great base recipe. Can be made up to 3 days in advance and served either hot or cold, as a dip, salad dressing, or as a sauce for noodles or protein.

Tools

2-quart saucepan

Knife, cutting board

Microplane for ginger

Directions

In a saucepan heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook scallions, garlic and ginger, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring. Simmer sauce, stirring, until smooth and cool to room temperature. Sauce may be made up to 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. If sauce is too thick after chilling, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water until sauce reaches desired consistency.

Serve sauce with grilled poultry or meat, on noodles, or as a dressing for spinach salad.

Peppery Spaghetti Carbonara with Tarragon and Poached Egg. So traditionally a raw egg is mixed into the hot pasta, but in line with my current obsession, I instead poached the egg right in the pasta water.

Ingredients

2 bacon slices, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 pound spaghetti

1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus additional for serving

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon or parsley

1 large egg

Tools

10-inch nonstick skillet (cast iron works)

Stock Pot and strainer for pasta

Cup for egg

Directions

Cook bacon in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a 4-quart saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup cooking water, then transfer spaghetti with tongs to a small bowl, shaking off excess water, and keep pan of water simmering.

Pour off all but 2 teaspoons bacon fat from skillet, then whisk butter into fat in skillet over medium heat. Add spaghetti, reserved cooking water, cheese, and a rounded 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and almost completely absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Add bacon and 1 tablespoon tarragon and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Break egg into a cup and gently slide into water. Poach at a bare simmer to desired doneness (I prefer a firm white with a runny yolk, 2 to 3 minutes).

Serve pasta topped with egg (transfer using a slotted spoon). Sprinkle with remaining tarragon if desired.

A favorite as it’s versatile, impressive, delicious, simple, and a one-dish meal. You can ditch the foil for a banana leaf that also imbues a subtle flavor, and you can use any fish here, simply adjust the cooking time for thinner fillets.

Ingredients

4 medium size Yukon Gold potatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds (Pick potatoes that are similar in size so that they cook evenly)

Tools

Grill

Stock Pot for Potatoes

Non-stick Aluminum Foil

Directions

Put the potatoes into a 4 quart pot and cover with water. Bring the potatoes to a boil, and continue cooking until the potatoes are just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Drain and let cool completely. Remove the peel and cut into 1/4-inch slices. You can cook the potatoes the day ahead.

Cut 6 – 12 x 24 inch pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil. We prefer the easy release non-stick version for this dish. Fold each piece in half to make a 12 x 12 inch square. With the dull side up, place 3 to 4 slices of potatoes in a row down the middle of the square. (If you’re using the optional banana leaf, you would place it down on the foil before adding the potato slices.) Spoon 1 tablespoon of the Garlic Mojo over the potatoes, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the salmon fillet on top, and drizzle on another tablespoon of Garlic Mojo. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the fish, then place several sprigs or leaves of whatever fresh herb you’d like on top. Repeat these steps with the remaining pieces of salmon.

Seal the package by bringing the top and bottom of the foil up to the center and folding the two sides together. Fold the top over a second time to ensure a good seal. Double fold both ends to create an airtight package.

Slide the packages onto a medium-high grill and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the grill and place on individual plates, along with several wedges of lime. Let each guest open their own package and add a squeeze of fresh lime over their fish.